| Summary: | Bexar Tracks began with Vol. 4, no. 1 (January 1986). It continues Newsletter (Bexar Audubon Society). §r-acRs 512-822-4503 dANUARY 1992 BEXAR AUDUBON SOCIETY CHAPTER OF THE NATIONAL AUDUBON SOCIETY The Chapter's primary goals are to promote species and habitat conservation and environmental education In the community. Inside Tracks • A message from our new president, Walter Barfield • Conservation Committee news and issues contact list • Year-end legislative update • Wetlands comment deadline extended again -please write • Scholarship available for Audubon program • Friedrich Wilderness Park update • Earth Summit moves toward center stage • New publications concern native plants, endangered species, UNCED, and more • Don't "trash" your Christmas tree • An exciting calendar of events • Send the editor your New Year's "gifts" and hopes for our earth-extended 'til February BAS Member Activities Cibolo Wilderness Trail January Meeting 1bpic Carolyn Chipman-Evans will be the speaker at our regular monthly meeting on Thursday, January 16, to be held at the Ruble Center at 7 pm: Chipman-Evans, founder and now director of the Cibolo Wilderness Trail, and also chair of the Friends of the Cibolo Wilderness Trail, has been working on the trail for four years Chipman Evans received the Environmental Women of Action Award for Texas for 1991. BAS has a special connection with Chipman-Evans, since she was our Audubon scholarship recipient several years ago. Learn more about this wilderness enclave near San Antonio. Join us for a half-hour of fellowship at 7, followed by the program. Meetings are always concluded by 9 pm. and are open to the public at no charge. Members, family, friends, and other are urged to attend. February Preview: Ron George, wildlife biologist with Texas Parks & Wildlife Department, will share his ten years experience as a white-winged dove program leader in Texas. Mitchell Lake Outing Scheduled Jan. 18 Get up bright and early the morning of January 18 -yes, it's a Saturday -and take a trip to Mitchell Lake. Long thought of by many San Antonians as just the "old sewage holding pond," today's visitor to the lake site will be greeted by dozens of species of waterfowl, raptors, and more. For a first-hand look at a wetlands ecosystem - right in our own backyard, join in the outing to Mitchell Lake. Meet at the entrance on Moursund Road (south of IH-410 South near Pleasanton Road). For more information, contact Marge Flandermeyer, 684-2668 BAS Elects New Officers, Board Members The slate of officer and board candidates presented by the nominating committee was elected by acclamation at the December meeting. Thanks to the committee, to the candidates, and to those who came to the meeting to vote or mailed their ballots. 0 Printed on recycled paper. Please recycle in the interest of the present and the future.@ ~ BEXAR TRACKS. January 1992 Pap2 Bexar Facts A BAS Update President's Letter Before looking ahead to the issues of 1992, I want to express my gratitude to our outgoing president, Marge Flandermeyer. For three years, as treasurer of Bexar Audubon Society, I have had the privilege of working closely with Marge on many conservation and administrative issues facing our society. During this time she has presided over our board meetings and general meetings with efficiency and good humor, greatly aided our fund-raising effort with successful work on our arts and crafts auction, worked as a spotter in our annual Birdathon, initiated Bexar Audubon's participation in Earthday, participated in numerous workdays at Friedrich Park, and effectively communicated the views of Bexar Audubon to the general public and elected officials on important conservation issues. Bexar Audubon is very fortunate to have had Marge as our president. Her devotion to the Audubon cause and dedication to Bexar Audubon are debts which can never be repaid. We can only express our heartfelt thanks for a job well done. I also want to thank those members who have served and are serving Bexar Audubon in other capacities: newsletter editors, committee chairs, officers, board members, and other active members. It is through your efforts Bexar Audubon has become and shall continue to be an effective voice for the environment. In this, the first month of 1992, Bexar Audubon is already faced with numerous issues which impact our community: • land use issues around Friedrich park; • landscaping, parks, and open space issues in San Antonio; • wetlands issues at Mitchell Lake; • aquifer recharge and endangered species issues in northwest Bexar County; • recycling and solid waste issues in Bexar County; • regional water issues for the Edwards Aquifer and downstream bays and estuaries; • national energy and population policies; and • renewal of the Endangered Species Act, just to name a few. Each of these issues is going to affect your quality of life - if not now, then a few years from now. Each of these issues warrants our attention. If you have not been an active member in the past, then please consider becoming active now. If you have been active, but have of late been unable to participate, please participate now. And if you are not member, please join. - Walter G. Barfield Thank You, Nature Company It was more than a fund-raising opportunity: it was a social event. BAS members new and old met and compared shopping notes at the Nature Company December 11. We wondered what Marge had planned for all those rain sticks, but after our welcome mid-December rains, we know - and we're grateful, Marge. THE NATURE clir' Thanks to the Nature Company for generously sharing their evening's proceeds with BAS. X.e Education Report The Education Committee will meet on Tuesday, January 7. Members and others who may be interested in this area are asked to attend. The BAS video film library is available to teachers or other groups for educational purposes. A list of our extensive and growing videos is available on request. Free delivery and pick-up are available. Education is one of the most important functions of BAS and of any other organization dedicated to conservation. As "they" say: If you think education is expensive, try ignorance. Contact Betty Minyard, Education Chair, 344-6128, for information about any of these education programs. -.:;tcologg Scholarship ,l;joffered BAS will award a $500 scholarship to help someone- maybe you -attend an NAS Ecology Camp or Workshop. Any individual who is a teacher, scout leader, zoo docent, museum docent, or who is involved actively in teaching children or who is a college student pursuing a career in education may apply. Many of the programs are held in the summer. To apply for the scholarship, obtain an application form and the guidelines. A committee of judges reviews the application and essay submitted by each applicant. The deadline to apply is March 15. The winner is announced on April 1. A list and description of the camps and workshops, dates, places, and prices is sent along with the application form. College credit may be available for some courses. To get your application materials, call Betty Minyard at 344-6128 or Thelma Nungesser at 824-8199. Conservation Seeks More Members for Issues Subcommittees The BAS Conservation Committee is now meeting on a regular monthly basis and wants to have two or three people on each issues subcommittee. The committee urges each member of BAS to become an "activist" on your own terms. If you have a particular issue to which you are committed and any time you can spare, we need you. The year 1992 will be a benchmark year in terms of whether America can resume I REDUCE • REUSE • RECYCLE • REDUCE • REUSE • RECYCLE • REDUCE • REUSE I Page3 a leadership role in slowing the degradation of our planet's environment. If you would like a preview of what's happening with the BAS Conservation Committee, you are invited to our next meeting at 7 pm on January 23, in the Administration Office of the San Antonio Botanical Center. Review the subcommittee list at right, then come and learn more about the issues we are working on and what you can contribute based on your concerns and commitment. If you have a concern that isn't on our list, we want to know that, too. -Richard Pipes Here are some highlights from the December 5 committee meeting and some additional notes on local conservation issues. Adopt-a-Park - The Greystone/ Woodland Development project has submitted plans to the San Antonio Zoning Commission for the construction of an apartment complex north and west of Friedrich Wilderness Park. This action comes as a surprise, since the developer had not previously made such plans public. The Zoning Commission had called for a 90-day review period on the impact of this proposal. Mitchell Lake- The Mitchell Lake Project is looking for a non-profit organization to monitor the proposed wetland development. The Park and Wildlife Department has agreed to assist the city in completing the project. BEXAR TRACKS, January 1992 fij Resource Conservation (Solid Waste & Recycling) - (Editor's note: We are pleased to hear the Sierra Club has been using the updated recycling centers directory in their recycling roadshow. Anyone else wishing to reproduce this directory may contact Walter Barfield to receive both permission to reprint and clean, camera-ready copy.) For more information contact Richard Pipes, BAS Conservation Committee chair, at 1-512-569-2452. BAS Conservation Committee Contacts Chairman . . Richard Pipes, 1-512-569-2452 Vice Chairman . Linda Tippen, 590-9371 Public Lands (Refuges, Forests, & Wetlands) . Richard Pipes, 1-512-569-2452 Open Space Planning . Linda & Ted Tippen, 590-9371 Recycling/Resource Conservation . .Walter Barfield, 736-0355 Aquifer Protection & Regional Water Plan . Pete Bauml, 1-512-620-0640 Endangered Species . Jim Garriot, 695-9520 Mitchell Lake Project . . Marge Flandermeyer, 684-2668 Friedrich Park (Adopt-a-Park) . Bill Woller, 223-3281 Legislative Update This update is extracted in part from an article by Dan Johnson of Audubon's Wildlife Department in Washington, D.C. in the December 1991 issue of Audubon Activist. Protection for Wetlands The deadline to register your objection to the changes in the EPA wetlands delineation manual has been extended again. The new deadline is January 14. Send comments to Mr. Gregory Peck, Chief, Wetlands and Aquatic Resources Regulatory Branch, Mail Code (A-104F), U.S. E.P A., 401 M St., SW, Washington, DC 20460. More support is needed to ensure protection for our vital wetlands. The proposed definition would remove more than 50 percent of wetlands in many states from federal protection, according to an Audubon survey. Copy your senators, representative, and the president (and NAS). National Wildlife Refuge System Management and Policy Act The National Wildlife Refuge System Management and Policy Act, introduced in December, would make wildlife the top priority on refuges. Write your senators and representative now urging that they cosponsor S.1862 or H.R.3688. Audubon Ecology Camps & Workshops Offer Life Enrichment From Maine to Costa Rica, the Pacific Northwest to Kenya, Audubon has it covered with camps and workshops to extend your knowledge and heighten your awareness. Typically one to two weeks in length, the programs cover subjects such as National Audubon Society Chapter Membership Application 0 Yes, I'd like to join. Please enroll me as a member of the National Audubon Society and of my local chapter, Bexar Audubon Society. Please send Audubon magazine, Bexar Tracks, and my membership card to the address below. 0 A $20 check for my introductory membership is enclosed. Ecology of Winter Predators, Maine Coast Field Ecology, Nature photography in Yellowstone-Grand Tetons, and Death Valley Ecology, and there are special international workshops in Trinidad and Tobago, Venezuela, Costa Rica, Belize, and Kenya. For a full-color brochure with all the details on programs for 1992 - January through October - contact Audubon Ecology Camps & Workshops at 203-869-2017 or write to 613 Riversville Road, Greenwich, CT 06831. 0 I think an Audubon Society membership is a great gift. Send gift memberships to my friends and family listed separately at $20 each. NAME ________________________________ __ ADDRESS ______________________________ _ CITY/STATE/ZIP ________________________ _ PHONE __________________ _ Make all checks payable to the National Audubon Society. r --- wrg --- 1 ! Local Chapter I ! Code 7XCHA ! 1. . . Send this form and your check to: Bexar Audubon Society P .O.Box 6084, San Antonio, TX 78209 fil BEXAR TRACKS, January 1992 Legislative Update continued An information packet is available from NAS by phoning the 24-hour Actionline, 202-547-9009. (During business hours, ask for the Actionline. After hours, dial 4 when the automated attendant answers.) Energy The Johnston-Wallop energy bill (S.1220) was prevented from coming to the Senate floor by a filibuster. However, the nation needs a wise energy policy, and there are and will be others - good and bad - presented. Audubon is seeking cosponsors for S.39 and its House companion, H.J.R.239. Write and recommend cosponsorship or, at least, support of these bills by your representatives. ·on the roll call vote for cloture on S.1220, Senator Bentsen voted "Yes," and Senator Gramm was not present. Please write Senators Gramm and Bentsen and tell them you support protection of the Arctic refuge and ask them to clarify their positions on energy and the Arctic. Ancient Forests The Packwood mber Industry Bill (S.ll56) guts the National Forest tAct and makes timber and azing overriding management goals of national forests. overrides the Endangered Species Act and bars citizens from seeking judicial review of many forest management decisions. Senator Bentsen has cosponsored S.l156. Please write and ask him to drop sponsorship of Packwood and support the Adams Ancient Forest Bill, S.1536, which leaves important environmental laws intact and designates significant stands of ancient forest to receive permanent pro-. tection from logging. Endangered Species Act Audubon is preparing for one of the most important environmental battles of the near future. Representative James Hansen of Utah, who introduced H.R. 3092, the "Human Protection Act," "wants a determination that economic benefits outweigh costs before a scientific determination is made and before a species is listed. His approach would knock out the scientific underpinning of endangered-species protection," wrote Peter Berle, NAS President. Audubon's approach - generally agreed upon by environmentalists - is to shift the focus toward habitat protection, while continuing to protect species. Grazing Reform Opposition to federally subsidized and environmentally devastating cattle grazing on public lands continues to grow. Mining Reform H.R.918 would begin to reform the 1872 Mining Law, which gives mining priority over other uses of public land. It is presently in the House Interior Committee. Urge your representatives to support mining reform. Population The House and Senate passed foreign aid authorization~ bills that would . :; . have increased fund!ng for P~P Population Program u I a t10 n . ass 1 s '--'' --- " --- ' tance, restored U.S. funding to the U.N. Population Fund, and overturned the "Mexico City policy," which unduly restricts population assistance. However, the House failed to pass the conference committee version of the bill. Congress continues its support, but the Bush administration has not yet acknowledged the magnitude of the pop- Page4 ulation problem or the need for increased U.S. funding of international family planning programs. Wolf Reintroduction Funds have been approved for the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service to do an environmental impact statement on wolf reintroduction in the greater Yellowstone ecosystem. Strong public support could help return them. Wild Bird Trade H.R.2541 and S.1218, which would phase out the import of birds caught in the wild for pet trade, were in the House Merchant Marine and the Senate Environment and Public Works committees in December. Maybe in 1992. Biodiversity Significant progress was made toward conservation of biological diversity this year, with a bill to set up a Smithsonian center to inventory plants and wildlife in the works. mere to write or call? The Honorable Lloyd Bentsen or The Honorable Phil Gramm U.S. Senate Washington, D.C. 20510 The Honorable ______ _ U.S. House of Representatives Washington, D.C. 20515 The Honorable George W. Bush The White House Washington, D.C. 20500 Capitol Switchboard: 202-224-3121 When you write your national elected officials, send a copy to NAS headquarters, 950 Third Avenue, New York, NY 10022. Let BAS know when you write on local issues. The association monitors support for issues and "reminds" officials about their constituents' opinions. The South American rain forests are being destroyed at a rate of about fifty acres a minute. If San Antonio were such a rain forest it would be gone in about six days. The island of Madagascar has already lost about 90 percent of its forests. [Thanks to Allen Perry for this "Did You Know . ?"} "Man tends to exploit before he understands."- Mike Fay, in the World of Audubon, "Mysterious Elephants of the Congo." PageS Keeping Track From Christmas Tree to Garden Mulch On January 4 and 5, bring your tree [no flocked trees or trees with tinsel, please] to Shades of Green nursery, 334 West Sunset Road (between Jones-Maltsberger and Broadway). They will chip the tree into mulch for you to use to enrich your garden. If you want to take mulch home, bring along large bags or garbage cans. Native Plants Texas Parks & Wildlife has produced a new book on Endangered, Threatened, or Protected Native Plants of Texas, available for $8.50 (includes tax and postage) from TP&WDept., 4200 Smith School Rd., Austin, TX 78744. Native Plant Society of Texas has produced their first in a series of booklets on native plants. This volume, Ornamental Trees, is available for $2 plus $1 handling. from Native Plant Society of Texas , P.O. Box 891, Georgetown, TX 78627, 512-863-9685. Canned Hunts- Texas Offers Many Options Pay special attention to the article "Canned Hunts" on pages 12-19 in the January-February 1992 issue of Audubon. Sadly, Texas operations appear to rank very high. Guide to the 1992 Earth Summit The U.S. Citizen's Network on the U.N. Conference on Environment and Development, or Earth Summit, has produced An Introductory Guide to the Earth Summit. The guide is available for $2 by writing U.S. Citizen's Network on UNCED, 300 Broadway, Suite 39, San Francisco, CA 94133. BEXAR TRACKS, January 1992 ~ Friednch Park Update Congratulations to Friedrich Park Patti Leslie has been named the new superintendent of Friedrich Park- a decision we all applaud heartily. Docent Training to Begin Soon Training for docents at Friedrich Park will begin in January. If you want to learn more about native plants and wildlife from a group of experts and are willing to devote a minimum of time in return [editor's note -lead two tours per year, I believe], call Patti Leslie at 698-1057. /trson-Power Needed Friends of Friedrich needs help on bridge construction and painting, along with other routine maintenance. If you are willing to devote a few hours of good refreshing labor to the park, call Patti Leslie at 698-1057. Friends of Friedrich Wins Honors Friends of Friedrich received the first place award for Organizations in the Public Lands Day Awards. The honor was granted in recognition of outstanding stewardship programs on behalf of our nation's public lands. Keep San Antonio Beautiful Inc. presented the1990-91 award November 20. BAS members attending the awards ceremony included Mary Kennedy, Bill Woller, Allen Perry, Molly Houck, Patti Leslie, and Jean Dickman. Mary Kennedy explained the BAS/Friends of Friedrich connection concisely: "Without Bexar Audubon there would be no Friends of Friedrich." Save the Earth Premiering in February, this TV series focuses on Earth Summit, planned for June 1-12 in Rio de Janeiro Brazil. UNCED may change the way countries around the world treat our planet. A Case in Point In the December 1991 Scientific American (pages 16-22) Marguerite Holloway examined the proposed wetlands policy. She reported that a group of scientists who set out to evaluate 22 of Washington State's recognized wetlands according to the Bush administration's recently proposed guidelines found that large parcels of these sites would no longer qualify. In fact, only 4 of the 22 would remain intact. For those wishing to better understand the problems with the proposed policy, I urge you to read this article. It provides in a clear case study exactly what the problems are and explains the complexities of the "science versus policy" debate. Bexar Tracks The editor believes the information in this publication to be accurate as of December 24. We welcome contributions of news, opinions, letters, and other information of interest to members. Any submission may be edited. If you have comments or contributions for Bexar Tracks, please send them to the editor, POBox 690028, San Antonio, TX 78269-0028. . ··:··· . ·. ·.· . ·~- ·':- JOHN J AUDUP.ON 17J'.o- la'it PINNATE£• GROUSE AUDUBON ROUGE CAU FORNIA RED WINE MADe.NiD &OTTtW SY 11UDUBOH CUJ.<.RS.Bl!.iOO'.lt.Y. C11 ALCOHOl. ll ~ lllo l'fVOLUMt. • CONTIIJNS SUL~!Tl'.S fij BEXAR TRACKS, January 1992 Calendar- January February 4 Natural history hike. Friedr ich Wilderness Park, 10 am. For more infor1 Natural history hike. Friedrich mation, call821-5143. 4-5 Shades of Green nursery will recycle Wilderness Park, 10 am. For more infor. mation, call821-5143. your Christmas tree. Details inside. 8 Second Saturday at Friedrich Wilderness Park, 9 am. Call821-5143 for topic. 8 Beginning Birdwatching for Children. Botanical Center. 9 am-noon. Fee, $15. Call Betty Harris, 821-5143, for more information. ction to axonomy. 11 Second Saturday at Friedrich Wilderness Park, "Winter Botany Walk." 9 am. Call 698-1057 for more information. 14 Edwards Underground Water District monthly meeting, 4 pm. Call 222-2204 for location. Aquifer protection and water conservation for Edwards Aquifer. Botanical Center. 7-9 pm for 10 weeks. Fee, $50. Call Betty Harris, 821-5143, for more information. 14 NEW Deadline for wetlands comments to EPA. 18 Outing to Mitchell Lake. 8 am. Meet at entrance on Moursund Road. Phone 684-2668 for more info. 22 Native Plant Society. 7 pm. Lion's Field Clubhouse on Broadway at Mulberry. 25 Xeriscape Program. Marshall High School. 7-9 pm. Fee, $5. Call Northside Community Education, 520-7990, for more information. March 5-7 Urbanization & the Riverine Environment. Marriott Brookhollow, Houston. Contact Elizabeth N 713-684-4037. BEXAR AUDUBON SOCIETY P.O. BOX 6084 SAN ANTONIO, TX 78209 Address Correction Requested OFFICERS AND BOARD Walter Barfield, President . . . 736-0355 Marge flandermeyer, Vice President . . . 684-2668 Betty Minyard, Treasurer . 344-6128 Caryl Swann, Secretary . . . . . . 653-2860 Audrey Cooper, Board Member . . . . 651-6054 Ronald "Rusty" Guyer, Board Member . . . 226-6808 Susan K. Hughes, Board Member . . . 696-6868 Thelma Nungesser, Board Member . . 824-8199 Blair Richter, Board Member . . . . 824-8251 COMMITTEE CHAIRPERSONS Conservation, Richard Pipes . . . 1-512-569-2452 Education, Betty Minyard . . . . . . . 344-6128 Finance, Jerome Hansmann . . . . . 342-S131 Membership, Thelma Nungesser . . . . . . 824.S199 Newsletter Editor, Susan K. Hughes . 696-6868 Outings, Marge flandermeyer . . . . 653-2860 Programs, Nathan Ratner . . 826-4462 Publicity, Blair Richter . . . . . 824.S251 Page6 April 3-5 Texas Wilderness Pow-Wow, Indian Mounds. May I~ •••. ©.WiAAtMrt ffif m#tMW9t§!@q~ HI 17-20 Fourth North American Symposium on Society and Resource Management. Contact Donald R. Field, Program Chair, School of Natural Resources, 146 Agriculture Hall, University of Wisconsin, Madison, WI 53706. Papers invited. June 1-12 U.N. Conference on Environment and Development. Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Ongoing Every Thursday, 1pm, San Antonio City Council meetings, City Hall. San Antonio Light CreenLine offers environmental tips and event reminders 24- hours a day at 512-554-0500, category 7220. National Audubon Society's Actionline provides a weekly update of environmental news. Dial 202-547-9009 and ask for the Actionline; after hours, press 4 when the line answers. To find out the status of any federal bill, call Legislative Information and Bill Status at 202-225-1772. NON-PROFIT ORG. U.S. POSTAGE PAID SAN ANTONIO, TEXAS Permit No. 590
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